Tag: research

Researchers at Western University have shown that our brains are pre-wired to perceive wrinkles around the eyes as conveying more intense and more sincere emotions. This eye-wrinkle feature, called the Duchenne marker, occurs across multiple facial expressions, including smiles, expressions associated with pain, and —as found by these researchers—expressions of sadness. Using a method called

New research from Vanderbilt suggests that repeated seizures reduce brainstem connectivity, a possible contributor to unexplained neurocognitive problems in epilepsy patients. The brainstem has been rarely studied in epilepsy because seizures typically originate in the temporal lobe or other areas of the cortex. Noting that people with temporal lobe epilepsy often lose consciousness even though

So much for, “See? That wasn’t so bad.” If your child thinks the needle is going to hurt, that expectation ensures it’s going to hurt. That’s the finding of first-of-its-kind research from UC Riverside psychologist Kalina Michalska. For the first time, researchers have looked at how expectation influences pain experience in children. “We know that

Scientists have developed a lab-based system for studying the most common type of liver disease, paving the way for research into new therapies. The team has devised a way to probe Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, which affects up to one in three people, using cells in a dish. Researchers will be able to use the

People going through hard times often find assistance by talking about their problems with others, and the support people receive has documented health benefits. However, the quality of support can vary and what happens during conversations can determine whether or not the support is actually beneficial. In a new three-year project funded by the National

Older people who enjoy a sexually active and emotionally close relationship with their partner tend to perform better at memory tests than sexually inactive older adults on a short-term basis, but this is not the case over a longer period of time. This is according to a study using data from more than 6000 adults

Male researchers receive far greater funding for cancer research than their female equivalents, suggests a study published in the journal BMJ Open. Within the European Union (EU), women represent nearly half of the workforce and more than half of all university graduates, but they are under-represented in senior positions in the workplace. In science, research

The Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance has enabled a large number of research teams to conduct meaningful scholarship with a fraction of the usual time and energy. CERA regularly conducts omnibus surveys of key family medicine education leaders, a process that includes collaboration with experienced mentors, centralized institutional review board clearance, pilot

Effective intervention can reduce medication overuse in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF’s), the latest University of Tasmania research shows. Led by The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre’s Dr. Juanita Westbury, the research published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) today focuses on the results of the RedUSe (Reducing Use of Sedatives) intervention aimed

Prophylactic mass vaccination programmes are not a realistic option in the battle to prevent new Ebolavirus outbreaks, a University of Kent-led research team has shown. The findings come as the World Health Organisation has announced a new Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Kongo. The team analysed the prospects for various Ebolavirus vaccines

How can you tell if someone likes you? New research led by University of Dayton associate professor of psychology R. Matthew Montoya helps answer that question by identifying a list of nonverbal behaviors to watch for—identified by the most comprehensive analysis ever. “There is a specific suite of behaviors associated with liking, and this same

Researchers from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences have characterised a new protein that is important to the genetic stability of cells. It may be significant for the development of new drugs against genetically determined diseases like cancer, sterility and premature ageing. All cell nuclei

By the time Ann Marie Owen turned to marijuana to treat her pain, she was struggling to walk and talk. She also hallucinated. For four years, her doctor prescribed the 61-year-old a wide range of opioids for her transverse myelitis, a debilitating disease that caused pain, muscle weakness and paralysis. The drugs not only failed

What if human brain tissue implanted into a pig transferred some of the donor’s self-awareness and memories? Such a scenario, out of reach for now, is becoming more and more conceivable, according to a group of scientists, ethicists, and philosophers who called Wednesday for a debate on the ethics of storing and using human brain

Farmers worldwide face mounting pressure to increase agricultural yields to keep up with human population growth. Consequently, chemical use is on the rise – in many cases a cocktail of chemicals, from fertilizers to herbicides to insecticides. But in countries where human population growth is highest, including China, South East Asia and South America, these

An international team focused on HIV cure research spearheaded by The Wistar Institute in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) in Barcelona, Spain, established that the CD32 molecule is not a preferential biomarker to identify HIV silent reservoirs within the immune system of patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART), as

Chamomile – that yellow flower so often made into a tea, enjoyed before bed – is a very interesting plant. It was recently discovered that the humble flower may control or even prevent diabetes – and now my research into historical textile dyes has helped to identify the specific compounds involved. That bedtime herbal tea

New research published in The Journal of Physiology has indicated why people with paralysis of their limbs and torso are more likely to suffer from sleep apnoea. This knowledge could be used to develop much-need targeted therapies. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a sleep disorder in which the upper airway (ranging from the back of

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut – who led the team that created Dolly the sheep – has backed an initiative to tackle Parkinson’s disease, after being diagnosed with the condition. The eminent scientist announced his diagnosis today – World Parkinson’s Day – ahead of the launch of a major research programme that will see experts at